GOOD EATING

GOOD EATING; From the Heights, Hill, and Slope

Published: May 14, 1995

This trim little spot, as bright and cheerful as the owner, Jennifer Ewers, who greets patrons, serves tasty Caribbean fare.

The dining room is tiny, with only eight seats, and adorned with beautiful African artifacts. The small menu features specialties of zesty jerk chicken with a kick of pepper; chicken, goat or vegetable roti with sweet peas and carrots in a spicy curry sauce, served rolled up in a chickpea-and-flour flat bread; oxtail stewed with lima beans; and smothered shrimp in coconut-curry sauce. All main courses come with heaping servings of rice, stewed peas and salad with a carrot dressing. ($25 and Under: 10/10/93) GARDEN CAFE ++ (718) 857-8863; 620 Vanderbilt Avenue, Prospect Heights; $; American Express, Mastercard, Visa

A congenial atmosphere and consistently satisfying homey fare have earned this winsome American restaurant a loyal following among Brooklynites. Among current starters are grilled mozzarella on panini with a garlic, capers and parsley dressing, and snails ragout in an herb sauce.

Main courses include herb-crusted shell steak au jus with a side of roasted garlic potatoes and grilled zucchini with rosemary; pan-seared salmon topped with a roast shallot sauce and served with mashed potatoes and Swiss chard; grilled swordfish with a smoked sweet Vidalia onion sauce, and deboned pork loin chops with a tomato and balsamic vinegar glaze and complemented by wilted spinach and a warm lentil salad flavored with cumin. ($25 and Under: 3/27/92) LEMONGRASS GRILL ++ (718) 399-7100; 61A Seventh Avenue, near Lincoln Place, Park Slope; $; no credit cards

If you are looking for uncompromisingly spicy Thai cuisine, try this already popular, informal little spot on Seventh Avenue, the commercial center of Park Slope. From the dining room, a toiling line of chefs can be seen in the semi-exposed kitchen, grilling, stir-frying and deep-frying incessantly. Soups like gai tom kha, made with chicken and mushrooms in coconut milk and lime juice, as well as tom yum gung, which combines shrimp and mushrooms in a spicy lemon grass broth with lime juice, are a good way to begin. Milder starters include string beans with garlic and bean curd; and fish cakes with kaffir lime leaves. For entrees, there is pla jean, a seared fillet of salmon coated with herbs and spices, served in a sauce of chili, garlic and ginger; grilled lemon grass pork chops with a sweet and pungent glaze, and kwaytio ki mow, or rice noodles sauteed with chili, sweet basil, tomatoes and onions with lemon grass. ($25 and Under: 9/17/93) MOROCCAN STAR + (718) 643-0800; 205 Atlantic Avenue, near Court Street; $; Mastercard, Visa

Atlantic Avenue is home to several Middle Eastern and North African restaurants usually offering good value for the money. Moroccan Star, a friendly family-run establishment in Brooklyn's Middle Eastern neighborhood is one such reliable bargain.

A good way to start is with a vibrant selection of appetizers like hummus, baba gannouj and stuffed grape leaves. Among the best entrees are a juicy lamb steak with fries; pastella (also known as bastila, pastilla or b'steeya), a semisweet chicken pie with raisins, garlic and spices in paper-thin phyllo, and tagine, a stew made with lamb or chicken, replete with carrots, prunes and dried almonds, that is meant to be eaten in pita bread pockets, and lamb and chicken couscous. (Article: 11/27/92) NEW CITY CAFE ++ (718) 622-5607; 246 DeKalb Avenue, at Vanderbilt, Fort Greene; $$$; American Express, Mastercard, Visa

This charming little restaurant with a romantic setting, elegant presentation, crisp linen, beautiful china, fresh cut flowers and imaginative American fare has definitely been discovered, as reflected by the prices. When it first opened, prices were astonishingly low for the quality offered; they now seem more on a par with it.

The small menu is appealingly varied, and changes are made every week. One might start with won tons of vegetables in an aromatic broth infused with roasted fennel; salmon tartar with creme fraiche ; oysters on the half shell, or black bean soup with cilantro. Entrees could include wood-grilled duck breast with sour cherry sauce and served with a savoy cabbage spring roll; soft-shell crab with pancetta and potatoes; grilled rack of lamb with a minted jus reduction set over Swiss chard and served with a potato tart, and seared salmon with a white butter sauce. ($25 and Under: 3/4/94) PLANET THAILAND ++ (718) 599-5758; 184 Bedford Avenue, near Seventh Street, Williamsburg; $; no credit cards

This offspring of the Thai Cafe in Greenpoint is one of many fine, inexpensive restaurants that can be found in Williamsburg. The setting is stark black and green with a little eat-in counter, vestige of a former luncheonette, and a small dining room that can accommodate about 35 patrons.

The familiar and tasty appetizers include spring rolls fried or fresh with apricot sauce; hot-and-sour shrimp soup with onions, peppers and cilantro, and steamed mussels with basil and lemon grass. Other good selections are the smoky grilled beef salad with mint, lemon juice and hot pepper, and spicy ground pork with peanuts, ginger and lime. Pad Thai, the traditional noodle dish, with shrimp, chicken or vegetables, is superior. ($25 and Under: 11/18/94) QUEEN ++ (718) 596-5954; 84 Court Street, near Livingston Street; $; no credit cards

Located near the city's courthouse, this bright and comfortable spot serves a pleasing mix of updated old-style Italian cooking to lawyers, judges and jurors, among others. The menu offers starters of clams Casino; mozzarella with roasted peppers; steamed mussels in a saffron-infused broth; sauteed broccoli rabe with pine nuts and olives, and shrimp cocktail.

Pastas include tortellini with prosciutto, radicchio and cream; gnocchi in a rabbit ragout, and linguine in a garlicky white clam sauce. Among the main courses are sauteed veal scaloppine with sausage and mushrooms; stew of tripes with fava beans; veal Marsala; chicken cacciatore cooked with garlic, onions and tomatoes, and shrimp fra diavolo. ($25 and Under: 10/10/93) Such Romance THE RIVER CAFE ** (718) 522-5200; 1 Water Street, Brooklyn Heights; $$$$; all major cards

There is no better place in the city to take in the harbor and the shimmering towers of lower Manhattan than this romantic outpost on the East River. The provocative creations of Rick Laakkonen, the chef, include an appetizer of risotto of savoy cabbage with lobster and cod cheeks dressed with white truffle oil. Among the main courses is a pan-roasted baby chicken stuffed with sage and smoked bacon, complemented by a Bagnol vinegar reduction and garnished with a parsnip puree. (Review: 9/17/93; Diner's Journal: 4/29/94) Summaries of reviews use the star system; others are culled from articles (indicated by +), the $25 and Under column (++) and Diner's Journal (